Bristol’s local authority spent more than £20,000 on fittings to stop skateboarders using the space around a city centre war memorial, it has been revealed.

Metal ‘skate stops’ have been installed around the newly-refurbished Cenotaph in Colston Avenue.

The space has become a popular skate spot since it reopened in November 2017 as a result of its flat surfaces, ledges and drops.

However, last week Bristol City Council took measures to stop skateboarding in the area by installing metal ‘skate stops’ on the edges of the flowerbeds while metal bars were embedded in the ground around the Cenotaph itself.

A skater grinds on one of the flowerbed edges at the Cenotaph (Image: Tim Crawley/ Instagram)

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A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “We have been monitoring the use of the space since it opened in November last year. There was concern that the new seating and planting area were being damaged by skateboarding activity.

“To protect the council’s investment in this important public space and prevent further damage, we have therefore introduced some measures, both around the historic monuments and through the straps on the granite planters.”